Generation Gap
by Itdoesringabell
Summary: Fifteen years after the epilogue of Matter of Years, a little insight of what their lives turned out to be.
1. Chapter 1

_PLEASE READ A/N:_

_This fanfiction is the most useless thing that I have ever written. It's just that I have this thing when, when it comes to Dair, I can't let go of ANYTHING._

_So this is an insight of what the lives of Dan and Blair and their friends turned out to be after the end of Matter of Years._

**_I think it would be useful for you to read the epilogue again, to remember where things were left off. But to help you not getting lost here's the list of the kids and their age:_**

**_Serena and Carter's kids : Adeline 18; Vita 15._**

**_Blair and Dan : Ombeline 22; Elvis 17; Cleo 15._**

**_Ivy and Nate : Travis 21; Emily 19; Samuel 15._**

_Anyway, I'm saying it again, it's really not that interesting, but I don't know, I just felt like I had to write that._

_And I'll be publishing a new fanfiction named "La Bohème" that I would love you to read._

_Hope you enjoy this one anyway._

* * *

She was going to be sick. Looking down at her mid-term exam sheet, Cleo started to feel sweat forming on her forehead. B minus. She, Cleo Vanessa Humphrey, straight A student since kindergarten had had a B minus. On a final examination. In _Italian_. It was ridiculous. She spoke the language like a Naples native.

She was standing in front of Constance, her feet buried in early snow, waiting for her father to come pick her up. As usual, he was late; but this time, it didn't bother her much, even though snow was starting to fall heavily over her head. Because as soon as she would get into the car, he would see the sheet and tell her that B minus _wasn't that bad._ Clearly her father never understood the importance of grades when one does not want to take the pretentious road of art.

She felt a deep, wet kiss on her cheek and turned around swiftly to hit her boyfriend on the shoulder.

"Ouch!" Samuel hissed. "Come on, no one can see us"

"Gossip Girl can" Cleo retorted. "Do you want our parents to know about us through the internet?"

"They don't check Gossip Girl anymore. And speaking of…when are we going to tell them?"

"Never. I still remember my father's face when Ombeline brought home her first boyfriend."

Samuel was about to say something but Cleo saw her grandfather's car turning around the corner and her older brother getting out of the school building, headphones on.

"Here's my father. Move it, Archibald" she told Samuel.

The car pulled right in front of them and Dan winded down the window.

"Hi Samuel, need a ride home?"

Cleo gave him a murderous glare and hopped in the passenger's seat.

"No, thank you, Uncle Dan. I already called a car."

Elvis got into the back of the car, not greeting anyone, too lost in his music.

"Alright" Dan told Samuel "Get home safe, we'll see you at dinner tonight"

With a last wave, Dan engaged on the road once again. He looked carefully at Cleo who seemed to contemplate the city out the window. She was avoiding his glare, Dan was well aware of it. He also knew she had gotten her final exams results that day and that she didn't have the usual satisfied smug face after getting an A.

"Which subject was it?" he asked.

Cleo sighed, still not looking at him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"She got a B minus in Italian" Elvis said, browsing through his playlist.

Cleo turned around and reached to punch him on the knee.

"Mind your own business, hobo. How do you even know this?"

"You called the teacher a mediocre, frustrated instructor. The whole school heard about it."

"You did what?" Dan asked in shock.

"It doesn't matter" Cleo said, closing her eyes with pain on her face. "My life is over, I'll never get into Yale."

Dan rolled his eyes. Sometimes, Cleo was _way too much_ like Blair.

"Come on, C" Dan reached to stroke her cheek. "You're a sophomore"

"I _knew_ you wouldn't understand" she groaned "What time does mother get back from Paris?"

"Just before dinner" Dan sighed.

He watched her as she checked her watch. He reached for her hair with his left hand.

"Why do you insist on straightening your hair?" he asked "You're so pretty with your curls. Ombeline keeps her curls"

"Ombeline is a hippie" Cleo retorted, pushing Dan's hand off her head.

Knowing that any conversation with his youngest child would lead to nowhere at the time, Dan decided to concentrate on his only son.

"What about you Elvis? What's new?" he asked.

"Not much" Elvis shrugged. "I might have a new song that I'd like you to listen, but it's not completely done yet."

Cleo snorted and resumed looking out the window. Of all Dan's children, she was the only one who hadn't inherited of his artistic fiber. Ombeline had turned out to be a wonderful actress. She was that year going to graduate in acting major at the University of South California. And she had won a prize for a play she had written when she was at Constance.

The day she was rewarded, Dan thought nothing could even compare to the amount of pride he was feeling. And nothing did, until he went to see Elvis on his first concert, a year ago. It was at a little open scene of Brooklyn. When Dan saw his song getting on stage with nothing but the guitar he and Blair had offered him for his twelfth birthday, he was brought back to Constance and looking at Ombeline smiling for the camera.

Cleo had always turned up her nose to any artistic subject. That was probably why she had been spending much more time at Nate's, Dan thought. The only plays she would concede in going to were those featuring Ivy. She didn't even go to her grandfather's concert, last fall.

But whenever Jenny was having a new show, she would beg her parents to get her a plane ticket to London, Paris or Milan. Dan would always remember how pale and mute Cleo had gotten the day Jenny had introduced her to Oscar de La Renta when she was thirteen. He had actually taken a picture of her in that state. She had made him pay for that.

"I have a surprise for you when we get home" Dan told his children with a malicious grin.

His teasing didn't spark an ounce of enthusiasm in them. Instead, Cleo rolled her eyes and Elvis yawned, before asking;

"You do? So what time did Ombeline land today?"

Dan frowned. They had definitely grown up. They year Ombeline had left for college, Cleo and Elvis would become ecstatic at the only clue that she had gotten back to New York. Now, they would barely talk to her.

"She landed at 2:00 pm" Dan groaned "But that's not the surprise I was talking about"

"Is Aunt Jenny here?" Cleo asked, her brows frowned.

"Nope"

Dan was extremely satisfied with both of their thoughtful faces. Now, who was the smartest? As soon as he pulled into their alleyway, the kids got out of the car and ran inside, probably to check out what kind of surprise was waiting for them.

Dan took his time to get inside and when he did, he found Cleo and Elvis hugging tightly Ombeline in the living room. She was kissing them both on their foreheads, even though Elvis was now taller than her.

"Do you ever stop growing?" she asked him, messing up his curls.

Elvis shrugged, a big smile on his face, then turned to Dan.

"I knew the big surprise was Ombeline" he said

"Actually…" Ombeline looked at her younger siblings with a malicious smile, one that look very much like Blair's "Why don't we go to the kitchen?"

Cleo and Elvis looked at each other suspiciously, and then made their way to the kitchen. Dan decided to follow them, because he wanted to see their faces. He put an arm around Ombeline on the way and kissed her temple. She still smelled like apricot and mint.

Cleo's delighted scream rang through the entire house. She ran to jump into Milo's awaiting arms. They hadn't seen each other since they celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday, the previous summer. He was now in Columbia Law School and it was taking a lot of his time, so he visited less often.

Elvis went to hug him too, always happy to have another man in the house.

"So nice to see you guys" Milo said, looking at all of them.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Cleo asked, maintaining a firm grasp around him.

"I am" Milo said "Wouldn't miss Blair's Tarte Tatin even if I was passing the bar tomorrow."

All the rejoicing at the announcement was cut short by the front door banging open.

"I don't care what you think! I am eighteen years old, I can date whoever I want!" Adeline's voice rang loudly in the house.

Dan and his children all looked at each other, waiting for Serena or Carter to follow. And sure enough, Serena could soon be heard screaming.

"I am your mother, and you live under my roof, so I have a say on whom you bring in the bed I paid for!"

"Oh my God! This is so you to think that I'm sleeping around! Why is it always about sex with you?"

"Don't you give me that sermon, I was your age once, you know. You won't fool me, young lady"

Everybody in the kitchen was expecting Adeline to answer back, but what she said was covered by the scream of her little sister.

"You never let me do anything! This is so unfair! Dad, everyone who matters is going to be at that show"

"You are fifteen! At your age, everyone who matters should be your mother, your sister, your teddy bear and me! Especially me. Haven't you heard of Oedipus's complex? " Carter wasn't screaming. He seemed just barely annoyed.

"But Sam and Cleo are going!"

"I don't care if Dan and Nate don't mind their children doing drugs or getting pregnant, I do! And I'm saying you won't be going to that awful show. I've seen this girl on TV. She is basically wearing bikinis on stage and she has a song where she claims how much of a "proud hoe" she is. Whatever happened to respectable women like Beyoncé?"

"Do not start with Beyoncé again! I'm going to miss one of the most important events of the year just because you can't evolve with your time. You really suck."

"You won't be telling that when we'll hear about Samuel being pregnant."

"I am going to die" Vita groaned loudly.

"Please do, it'll give us some vacation" Adeline said

"Shut up, you stupid slu…"

"HEY" Serena's voice almost made the house shake "What did I say about insulting your sister? Not in other people's houses. And speaking of, where is everybody in this goddamn house?"

Dan was quick to react "Everybody play dead" he whispered to his children.

It only made them giggle, giving out a clue on their location. Serena appeared in the kitchen, and smiled when she all saw them.

"Hi, kids" she said softly

"Hi, Nenna" they all answered.

"Come here guys" she opened her arms to them and the five of them went to take her embrace "Not you" she told Dan. She wrapped her arms around Ombeline, Elvis, Cleo and Milo, kissed each of them on the forehead "You guys are my favorite kids in the whole world"

Dan left them to join Carter in the living room, finding him pouring two glasses of scotch. He handed one to Dan and they clinked glassed.

"There's my man. To your perfect children" he said, before swallowing half of his drink.

"Come on" Dan laughed "You love your girls and you love teasing them until they get all screamy and red."

"Yeah. I do love when their faces get all cramoisy" Carter admitted "Reminds me of when they were babies. Remember when they called us 'daddy' and not 'old man'?"

"Cleo's new thing is calling me 'father'. She says it's more sophisticated"

"God, I love this kid"

They laughed together, then Dan put down his glass. He went to sit on the couch next to Adeline, who just sighed when she saw him.

"Save it, Uncle Dan. I don't want to talk"

"Okay. Can I just tell you that you look like your mother?"

"Ugh. Why are you doing this to me?"

Dan laughed out loud at how upset his comment had made her. He taped her shoulder softly, then stood up and clapped his hands together.

"Come on, children! Set the table, Ivy is going to get here with the food soon"

As usual, whenever they were having those kind of gatherings, Ivy was the one handling all the cooking. Except that day, Blair insisted of baking a Tarte Tatin as soon as she would get home.

Dan, Serena and Carter chatted while their children worked together on getting the table ready. It was the tradition at the Waldorf-Humphreys. Dan always made sure his children would get the same education he had gotten, one that wasn't filled with servants and housekeepers, except from Dorota of course.

He thought he had done a pretty good job with it. Of his three children, Cleo was the only who had the number of a car service on speed dial. The VanderBaizens – as he liked to call them –still maintained a very upper class standard of living, even though they lived in Brooklyn too. But Adeline and Vita had no trouble helping at getting everything ready at the Waldorf-Humphreys.

The front door opened, and Dan stopped listening to whatever Carter was saying. Two young men entered each carrying two trunks inside the house. Then Blair followed, wrapped up warmly in a big fur coat, her nose red from the cold.

Their eyes met, they exchanged a smile. Dan felt warmth spreading in his body. His wife was home. He got up and went to hug her tightly. Then Blair kicked off her heels, getting comfortable in her home. She looked up at him, with a smile on her face. The exchanged a discreet kiss, because they weren't alone. But it did not matter much, at least they were together again.

"Happy Anniversary" Blair said

"Happy Anniversary" Dan answered.

With a last squeeze on his arm, she turned toward the others. "Oh my, this house is never empty, is it?"

"Hi, Darling!" Serena and Carter told her in unison.

"Hi Aunt Blair" Adeline and Vita said.

"Hi Blair"

"Milo, what a good surprise! Come here"

Milo happily went to welcome the kiss Blair would give him "How is your mother?" she asked him, while Dan relieved her of her coat.

Everybody smiled. Blair always asked the question, out of pure courtesy.

"She just got married. A baseball coach, I think. Or football, I don't remember"

"So that makes, what? Her fourth wedding?"

"Something like that, yes." Milo chuckled.

Over the years, he had become comfortable with the fact that his mother might be crazy, but she was also one of a kind. Philip had gotten full custody after the divorce, so Milo had not lived with Georgina until he was eighteen. When everybody thought this experience would hold nothing but disappointment for him; it had revealed to be quite the contrary.

Dan did not know much about their lives together, but a lot of pictures of Milo partying with Georgina appeared on Page Six. They were the most unusual tandem in the crazy nights of the Upper East Side. At first Dan had been worried, until he and Philip spoke to one of his professors at Columbia. Milo's life with Georgina had not affected his college work at all. When he graduated, Georgina moved to St Bart, and Milo moved into Dan's old loft. He would usually visit his mother the first week of Christmas, and the first week of Easter.

Blair went to greet all the children, and Dan rolled his eyes when Cleo hugged her mother tight, whispering about how good it felt to have her home and that her father did not understand her. Blair did not kiss nor hug Ombeline. She simply addressed a cold nod to her daughter.

"Ombeline"

"Mom" Ombeline answered with the same tone.

Dan knew that they had been fighting lately, but neither of them had accepted to tell him what it was about. Since they had only been fighting over the phone, Dan was hoping that when they saw each other, on the day everyone was celebrating his and Blair's anniversary, everything would get better. But giving to their greeting, amelioration was not bound to happen.

Dan saw Cleo and Elvis exchange a surprised look and he decided to apply a diversion.

"Blair, Milo came tonight because he couldn't bear the idea of missing out on your Tarte Tatin. How about we get started on that while we wait for the Archibalds to arrive?"

"How can they never be on time?" Blair asked, following him to the kitchen.

When they got there, Dan closed the door behind them for privacy. Blair sighed at his action.

"Dan, I am not going to talk about Ombeline right now. I had a long flight."

"That's not why I closed the door" Dan said, walking toward her and pulling her into a deep, feverish kiss.

Blair's arms wrapped around his neck, she kissed him back with all the passion she could feature. Dan pulled away a few minutes later, but kept his arms around her. They were both breathless.

"Wow. What was that about?"

"I missed you" Dan answered.

"Well you might want to turn down your libido; we're not so young anymore"

"Come on, we've still got it."

Blair laughed, pulling away from his embrace. She started gathering the utensils out to start baking the pie.

"Now that I got that out of the way" Dan said "What's going on with you and our girl?"

"I told you, I don't want to talk about it, Dan" Blair picked up several apples from the bowl on the kitchen table. "Why don't you tell me what happened for the two weeks I wasn't there; we didn't talk much over the phone."

"Well let's see. Cleo got a B minus in Italian, today."

"Oh God" Blair grunted "She is going to be impossible over Christmas this year"

"I know, I can't believe that out of our three children, she's the one we actually wanted" Dan laughed at Blair shocked face, and dodged when she tried to hit him "I'm kidding. She insulted the teacher"

"Of course, she did. I don't understand, where did she get that attitude from?"

Dan looked at Blair with intent.

"What?" she asked

"Nothing" Dan sighed "Oh, Elvis has a new girlfriend"

"What happened to Naomi?" Blair asked with a smile, and it made Dan laughed.

If he was having a hard time with Ombeline's boyfriends, Blair had the habit of giving hell to Elvis' girlfriends.

"Apparently, Elvis realized he preferred her best friend"

"That Alana girl?"

"Yep" Dan nodded, waiting for Blair's reaction.

"I don't like her"

"Shocker"

Blair hit him with a wooden spoon "Thank God, Cleo hasn't started dating yet"

"Agreed. I don't know if my heart would bear it."

A loud excitement in the living room indicated of the Archibald's arrival. The kitchen door opened and Travis, Emily and Samuel got in, carrying the meals their mother had prepared for the event. Nate followed, carrying a box of bottles of wine.

"The finest selection from my cave in California" he said, hugging Dan then Blair.

"You shouldn't have" Blair

"And that's not all" Nate said

Ivy entered the kitchen with a bunch of flowers in her hands. Blair let out a please gasp at the sight, always happy to be given presents.

"Wait a second, those aren't for you" Nate told her "They're for Dan. Sixteen years with you, now that's an achievement."

Blair shot him a murderous glare, but Nate just grinned maliciously.

"I'm going to finish with the Tarte, and then we can all start on the dinner" Blair said "So everyone, out of my kitchen. Except for Ivy and Serena. And Dan, open us a bottle of wine, will you?"

Dan executed the order, then left his wife with Ivy and Serena, and two glasses of wine. As soon as he was gone, Serena opened a cupboard to take out a wine glass. Neither Ivy nor Blair said anything. Their meetings would not be the same if Serena didn't drink with them. But of course, it was their secret.

"So, what is the subject of discussion today? And please, anything but our children" Ivy said.

"Oh no, we need to talk about Adeline" Serena countered "I found condoms in her drawers"

"What were you doing in her drawers?" Blair asked

"I was snooping around" Serena answered with the tone of evidence "Then she started getting home really late, and she said she was with Alana, but I know she wasn't."

"How can you know?" Ivy asked

"I just know. So she's been dating someone, and having sex with him."

"Come on, Serena. She is eighteen. Remember us, at her age?" Blair pointed out.

"It's not the fact that she's doing it, it's the fact that she didn't even come to tell me about it" Serena sighed.

"Same argument" Blair said "Did you tell Lily about all your boyfriends, or worst, all the guys you were having sex with?"

"Of course not, it was a question of principle. But remember when Ombeline came to tell you when she first had sex? And when Emily summoned the three of us because she was _thinking _about taking this step? Why didn't _my daughter_ feel the need to do the same?"

"Serena, it's okay" Ivy put a comforting hand on her arm "To me, this only means one thing. Adeline is probably the smartest of our kids. Straight A student without even studying; she basically had a spot saved for her at Harvard before she was even in high school. She never talked to you about it because she trusted whoever she did it with. She is probably madly in love with that guy, and she probably didn't talk to anyone else about it, because you know how she is. She hates being talked about. Emily told me once that Gossip Girl barely talks about her, and I mean, she _is_ your daughter."

"You think it's the reason why?" Serena asked, still slightly worried.

"I am certain" Ivy affirmed reassuringly.

"Ivy : super-mom strikes again" Blair said, lifting her glass of wine as if to make a toast.

They laughed together. Ivy had always been the best mother out of the three of them. She never fought with her three children, always managed to find the time between her rehearsals, plays, and her children's activities or emotional troubles. And every day when they came out of school, they could find her cooking a good meal for dinner. Once, Serena and Blair asked how she did. She told them that when the kids were up in their rooms and Nate not home from work yet, she would take a glass of scotch, neat. It was the only thing keeping her sane.

So Serena and Blair started to look for the one thing that could bring down the tension of the day. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to find. So before getting home, Blair would always try a new pair of shoes, but not buy it –not always –and Serena ate an Éclair au Chocolat.

"What are we talking about next?" Serena asked

"Nate has a new secretary" Ivy said

"Ooh" Serena immediately sensed what it was about "What does she look like?"

"Mmmh, remember Scarlett Johansson when she was young?"

"Uh oh" Blair said with a smile "Are you worried?"

"Not at all" Ivy shook her head "Ever since she arrived, Nate has been making love to me like a god"

Serena and Blair giggled.

"I am not kidding. I think that having all her big breasts and firm butt under his nose all day is boosting his libido."

"Aren't you worried that he might be thinking about her while you guys are having sex?" Blair asked "Could you girls help me cut the apples?"

"For the fuck I get out of it, he can think about her all he wants" Ivy answered, picking up a knife and an apple.

They laughed out loud and Nate's voice rang out through the door "You are having a lot of fun for people baking a pie!"

"Cooking IS fun!" Ivy shouted back "You should try sometimes!"

"Keep dreaming, woman!"

Dan and Carter laughed with him, and the woman rolled their eyes at their husbands' machismo.

"What if one day, thinking about her is not enough?" Serena asked "What if, you know, he acts on it?"

"He wouldn't" Ivy shook her head "And I trust him more than anyone in the world."

"You're right to" Blair said "Nate didn't talk to Dan for almost a whole year when he found out he was cheating on Sonja."

"Oh my God, I completely forgot that happened" Serena said.

Blair didn't answer, just started to dispose the apples quarters on a crystal plate.

"Well Carter has never stopped being a sex god." Serena said "But we don't do it as often as we used to."

"And how much is that?" Blair asked skeptically "Three times a day instead of five? You guys are bonobos"

Ivy giggled while Serena narrowed her eyes.

"No" she protested "Now we do it once or twice a week"

"I hate you" Ivy said, finishing her glass of wine in a gulp.

"Dan and I haven't had sex in a month" Blair said "But it's actually a good thing."

"How?" Ivy and Serena asked in unison

"Because I was gone for two weeks and I come back just the night of our anniversary. I'm guessing he booked us a hotel room so he can give it to me good, tonight."

Ivy and Serena both had the same half smiling, half cringing expression. Ivy refilled Blair's glass.

"I love white wine Blair"

"Me too" Blair said "A toast to me" she lifted her glass.

"No. A toast to you and Dan." Serena countered "Think about it. You are at the Bass brunch, your best friend that you hate is bringing a date. This is the first time you meet him. Try to put yourself back into that moment. That guy is going to become your second husband, and the father of your three beautiful children, but more importantly the love of your life."

"Oh, so romantic" Ivy sighed

"That's not the first time I met Dan" Blair said.

"Of course it is. Unless you talked to him at Constance but…I'm sorry, just the thought is hilarious."

"No, the first time I met Dan was on Thanksgiving, freshmen year. He's the one who reminded me, a couple years ago."

"Oh" Serena seemed surprised "How about that? Could it be that you two have started before anyone could realize it?"

Blair shrugged "Perhaps."

A knock on the door made them jump. Serena emptied her glass and put it in the sink while Blair invited the intruder to come in. It was Travis.

"Mom, Blair, are we eating soon? I've got a paper to get back to"

"Oh my baby is hungry !" Ivy said "We mustn't make my baby wait, now!"

"Oh, no! We would hate it if baby had is tummy groaning" Serena added.

"Baby's whishes are orders!" Blair nodded.

"Okay, I didn't say I was hungry, I said I had philosophy paper" Travis protested "But I now realize how stupid it was to think you would understand, since none of you women ever finished college. Please, take your time"

He closed the door, leaving Blair, Serena and Ivy with their mouth hanging open in indignation.

"Ivy, your kid is paying for that" Blair said.

"Be my guest."

Blair put the pie in the oven, and they all went together to the dining room, where everybody else was already sat at the table. Blair took place at the end of the table while Dan was sitting at the opposite. Ivy's meals were set on the table and Blair gave the signal to start eating.

"Don't take all the tomatoes" Emily told Travis

"I'm sorry, I gotta eat fast, I have a paper to write"

"We know!" the whole table answered.

"Hey, Monkey, pass the salt" Adeline told Vita

"Get it yourself"

"Mom! Have you seen how she talks to me?" Adeline turned to Serena.

"Hey, this is my glass! Yours is on the left dumbass" Cleo addressed to Elvis.

"You look so ugly when you're upset" Elvis responded.

"Dad!"

"You're beautiful, darling" Dan told her absent-mindedly.

Blair served herself some tomatoes slices, sighing with content. She was definitely home. All the children kept bickering during the first course, until Carter slammed his hand on the table and ordered them to shut up.

"So, Addie" Nate said, and Adeline looked at him "I hear that you have a new boyfriend. Why haven't I met him yet?"

"Oh my God, mom!" Adeline turned to Serena "You told Uncle Nate?"

"Since you interned at the Spectator, I thought that he might know who it was" Serena shrugged "Why won't you tell me, Addie?"

"Because it's none of your business! Elvis has a new girlfriend every three days, and no one harasses him like you all do with me"

"That's not true, not every three days" Elvis defended.

"Everybody ready for the next course?" Blair asked.

"Oh, Alana told me everything" Adeline told Elvis.

Elvis's hand tightened around his fork, and they engaged in a stare contest.

"Careful" he then whispered to Adeline.

Dan frowned, in front of their behavior. They were hiding something. He looked at Blair who had the same expression on her face.

"What did Alana tell you?" she asked Adeline

"Nothing, Blair" Adeline said, serving herself some peas.

"Elvis cheated on Alana by kissing her sister" Cleo then said.

"What is your problem?" Elvis asked his sister.

"That's payback for telling Dad about the teacher"

"He would have heard anyway!"

Blair put down her fork and knife "Elvis this is not okay. You're going to apologize to both of those girls."

"Mom, let's just drop it"

"No, we don't drop it! Cheating is never okay, do you understand?" Blair insisted

"Well, you're just saying that now" Ombeline said, looking down to her plate.

Blair bit the inside of her lip, and looked at her oldest daughter. Dan followed her glare.

"Don't talk like that to your mother, Ombeline"

"What did she mean?" Cleo asked

"Okay, enough!" Serena cut in "Let's just put all tensions aside, and celebrate Dan and Blair's anniversary. Ivy, the beef is delicious."

"Oh, thank you" Ivy said, feeling ill-at-ease with the ambiance at the table.

The whole room became silent, except for the forks and knives hitting the porcelain plates. Then Elvis said,

"Cleo applied for an internship at Bass's industries"

"Elvis!" Cleo gasped, eyes widened.

"Payback" he shrugged.

"What?" Blair and Dan asked in unison.

"I can't believe it" Vita looked at Cleo "We agreed that none of us were going to apply, because it would make our parents uncomfortable"

"Oh please" Cleo rolled her eyes "I just spared you the disappointment of not being chosen over me"

"I can't believe you would do that to me" Vita looked hurt "You are without any doubt the biggest, most egocentric bitch I have ever met. No wonder you only have Sam and I as friends."

"Well, at least I'm still a virgin" Cleo mumbled, but of course, everyone heard it.

"WHAT?" Serena, Carter and Adeline all shouted.

Vita looked at Cleo as if she was going to hit her, then she turned to her parents.

"It's no big deal, okay?"

"It is a huge deal!" Carter replied "You're only fifteen!"

"Was it with Jeremy?" Adeline asked "Why didn't you tell me? We tell each other everything!"

"Do we?" Vita raised an eyebrow "Then why didn't you tell me that Travis is your secret boyfriend?"

Adeline sucked in a breath, and Travis chocked on his peas.

"Is it true?" Ivy asked her son, and he started chewing faster to answer his mother.

"Mom, we were going to tell you, it's just so complicated"

"How long has it been? You should have come to us right away"

"It's not that much of a big deal, mom"

"How can't it be? It's Adeline we're talking about here, you guys have been friends forever."

"And she is way too young for you!" Carter said, probably restraining from hitting Travis.

"He is only three years older, Dad" Adeline rolled her eyes "Just like you and mom. And the fact that we've been friends forever is just a detail"

"You two dating could ruin everything" Ivy told her. "Have you even thought about that?"

"Mom, it's fine" Travis insisted "Besides, we're not the only one crossing the line at the table"

"What do you mean?" Ivy asked.

"He means that Dan and Blair's anniversary is not the only one today" Vita said "Cleo and Sam kissed at last year's dinner, and they have been dating ever since"

"Oh, no" Dan said.

He looked at Samuel with as if ready to rip his head off, and Sam held up his hands in defense.

"Okay, uncle Dan, I'm sorry, I know we had a deal"

"What deal?" Cleo asked

"I was supposed to tell your dad if you started dating someone."

"I trusted you" Dan told Samuel.

"I can't believe it!" Ivy whispered.

"Me neither" Cleo said, looking at her father. "Can't I have a private life?"

"Not when you're fifteen, no!"

"I don't understand" Blair said, putting a hand on her forehead "Out of all the people in your school, in Manhattan, in New York! You couldn't find anyone else to date?"

All the children turned to her, giving her a look that made her feel even more uncomfortable.

"I'll say it" Ombeline told the others and turned to her mother "You're fucking with us, right?"

"Okay, enough!" Blair pointed at Ombeline "I am tired of your behavior"

"Yes, Ombeline" Dan said "Respect your mother"

"I won't, dad. Not when she says things like that while we can still read on Gossip Girl's archives about her sexcapades with uncle Nate and Chuck Bass, about yours with aunt Serena and aunt Ivy; about aunt Serena with uncle Nate. Do I need to go on?"

"Do what we say, not what we do" Carter told her "And what we say is don't date and don't have sex! Is that too much to ask?"

"We have the right to have a life, Carter" Ombeline replied "And you all should stop acting like you never made any mistakes, and that they never affected us."

"Okay, you're starting to get on my nerve" Dan told his daughter "What is going on with you?"

"What is going on is that you are selfish! You act like you put us first, when all you really do is acting without thinking of the consequences, and bring us along!"

"What are you talking about?"

"She had lunch with Sonja" Blair said.

There was a collective gasp amongst the adults and Elvis and Cleo looked at each other. They were born long after their father's divorce with his first wife, and to them, Sonja was a mere entity, that didn't have any impact on their lives. They knew she lived in New York, but they had never met her.

"Omebeline" Dan looked at his daughter confusingly "Why?"

"Because she was a part of my life too, Dad" Ombeline was talking with a strangled voice "I still remember her. I still have the necklace she got me for my third birthday, and I still have the flower I wore in my hair the day you married her."

"Still not following you"

"We ran into each other at an exhibit last summer, and we recognized each other. I realized that I had so many questions to ask her and she was willing to answer them, so we had lunch. And then she told me why you two divorced. How could you, dad?"

Dan didn't know what to say. He had lived his perfect life with Blair and their other children, and Ombeline had been wondering about the first five years of her life, all along.

"And it's not only that. I hate the way you ignore the fact that Chuck sends me a birthday card every year, and that I only get to see him every three years, when he accepts Nate's invitation to Thanksgiving dinner. You don't even realize that by shutting those two people out of your lives, you erase a part of mine. How can you act like they're not relevant, but accept the Prince of Monaco's invitation to his annual royal brunch? I was far from being born when mom was married to him"

Again, silence dominated the room, until Cleo asked in a very low voice.

"What did you do to Sonja, dad?"

"He cheated on her" Ombeline answered "With mom. They decided to separate when I was born, but cheated on their partners with each other"

"That's…sick, dad" Elvis said

"Okay, stop" Nate said "You don't get to judge your parents, none of you get to judge us. You have no idea what we have been through, and how hard we worked so that you all can have a peaceful, and easy life. You are lucky, that we are still here and together. Ombeline, you have _eight_ grand-parents, because they are all divorced and remarried. Ivy's father died of overdose, Carter's parents dropped him when he tried to figure out who he was; Serena's father didn't talk to her for almost her entire childhood. So we might not be the best parents, we might have been fucked up when we were younger, but at least, we are still here, with you. And it doesn't matter whether or not you believe us when we say that we are doing our best, as long as you get everything you need, and deserve."

All the children were now looking down to their plates, except for Ombeline, who was looking at Nate, tears in her eyes. She pushed her chair away from the table and got up.

"I shouldn't have come, today, not when I was this angry" she said "I'll take a plane back to college. Happy Anniversary."

She left the dining-room, probably to go up to her room and pack. Blair motioned to get up, but Elvis stopped her.

"I'll go, mom"

He left the table and climbed the stairs quickly to enter Ombeline's room. She was closing her little trunk on her bed. When she heard him coming in, she sighed, and sat on the bed. Elvis sat next to her.

"Omby, don't go" he said, putting a hand over hers.

"I'll come back in three weeks, for Christmas. It's not a big deal"

"I mean don't go today, don't go back while you are still mad at mom and dad. You need to sort things out with them."

"I can't, E" Ombeline shook her head "I don't have the strength, I don't have the energy, and they won't listen. They can't…take responsibility for screwing up a part of my life"

"But…why are you reacting this way, now?" Elvis asked

"I don't know, seeing Sonja just made me so…I don't know, Elvis, I'm just really confused. I need to go"

He didn't stop her when she got off the bed, dragging her truck with her. He just followed her downstairs, and helped her put on her coat. Before she opened the door, she looked up at him and smiled.

"You're the best, baby" she said.

"Stop calling me that"

They hugged, tight, and Ombeline whispered to give Cleo a kiss from her. Then she left. Elvis took a minute before going back to the dining room, because he was sure everyone had heard the front door closing.

When he took back his seat next to Cleo, he pulled her by the shoulder to kiss her on the temple, and didn't grant his parents of a look. Cleo understood what it was about, because Elvis never kissed her, unless Ombeline commanded him to.

"Well, it's actually good that you guys are dating" Nate said, probably to change the subject "Because if you don't screw it up and get married, we actually get to be a part of the family. And it'll be the Vanbaizorfreyshibald. How does it sound?"

Ivy rolled her eyes, and Serena laughed in her glass of water. Cleo looked at her father.

"Aren't you going to go after her?" she asked.

"Ombeline is a big girl" Dan said, his jaw clenched.

Cleo looked at him apparently hurt, then at her mother. Finally she threw her napkin on the table, and got up.

"I lost my appetite"

She ran out of the dining room, and Sam's eyes followed her. Everybody could see he was restraining from getting up and following her, and Dan took a long sip of wine before telling him;

"You can go"

Sam was standing up when Vita put a hand on his wrist to stop him.

"You can't go" she said "We agreed that she needs to understand when she went too far. The Bass internship and telling everyone about me not being…you know, at dinner, this is too far"

Sam seemed to hesitate "I know, V. But she's clearly upset"

"I am upset too!" Vita's voice rose.

Dan looked at the scene more attentively. The way Vita's fingers clenched around Sam's wrist and the way she was looking at him. All the adults at the table exchanged a worried glance. They only had the experience necessary to understand that Vita was probably in love with Sam.

Sam took her hand in his and squeezed it "I'll talk to her about that" he said "I promise"

He left the dining room, and Vita sat there, looking down to her plate. Adeline stood up.

"I don't feel very good" she said "I think I'm gonna go home and lay down. Monkey, you coming?"

Adeline seemed perfectly fine, everyone could see it. Still, Vita got up, and Adeline put a hand on her shoulder while they both got out, too.

The whole table became silent, with half of the guests gone, and the remainder too embarrassed to say anything.

"At least there is no food on the walls, this year" Serena said, reminding the others of the fiasco they had lived the previous year.

Another silence settled, broken this time by Nate's laugh. Everybody looked at him, curious.

"I win" he said, answering their silent question

"What do you win?" Dan asked

"The fucked up children contest. I win. My little Emily right here, Harvard student, horse riding champion, doesn't have anything that can be held over her head. I'm so proud of you, honey"

Emily smiled modestly, and squeezed his hand "You're silly, dad"

Travis looked at his little sister dubiously, then told his father;

"She's got two DUIs"

"And she has had a pregnancy scare like every year since she turned sixteen" Elvis added.

"And at which New Year's Eve party she got so drunk, she tried to sleep with you?" Travis asked.

"I believe it was two years ago" Elvis answered.

Nate's face decomposed, and his hand left slowly his daughter's. Emily gave her brother a murderous glare, before turning to Elvis.

"Just so you know, I would have rocked your world. Okay, what's for dessert, mommy?"

"Wait!" Milo said. He rubbed his hand, his eyebrows frowned "Since this is clearly the time for confessions…there is just something I have been meaning to tell you. I'm engaged"

All the adults opened their eyes in surprise and delight, happy to finally get good news. The all congratulated him with one voice.

"Really?" Dan asked, his throat tight, a bit moved "I didn't even know you were dating someone! What's her name, when can we meet her?"

Milo did a little grimace "His name is Keith" he said.

The smiles on the adults' faces became fixed. Then after half a minute, Blair moved to take him in her arms.

"It's wonderful, I can't wait to meet him" she said "I'm sure he is a wonderful person, just like you"

"He was my mom's assistant" Milo shrugged, his face a little red.

"Champagne!" Nate said "Not for you" he added for Emily, seriously.

They clinked glasses in Milo's honor, then shared Blair's Tarte Tatin, in a lightened mood. Sam and Cleo came back down, and sat at the table, unable to resist the call for dessert.

Then Milo had to leave, because he had work; Carter and Serena followed, going back to their daughters. Blair insisted that Ivy left the dirty dishes at their place, and the five Archibalds got into their car, and drove back to Manhattan.

Once every guest was gone, Cleo and Elvis went to lock themselves up in their rooms, leaving their parents in the kitchen.

"We're never hosting again" Blair said, rubbing her neck.

Dan laughed, taking her by the shoulders and started massaging them.

"Agreed. It's like this house is a tantrum for drama" he kissed her in the neck.

Blair let herself enjoy the feeling of his hands against her, and his lips on her skin.

"Can you believe all of the things they've been hiding from us? They are worse than us, at their age"

"Mmh, I'm not entirely sure about that, darling"

His hands started going up and down on her arms, and his mouth went to her earlobe, making her shiver. She turned around to wrap her arms around his neck.

"At least they keep our life entertaining" Blair said

"Are you saying we're boring?" Dan asked.

"Never!" Blair laughed, and welcomed his hot kiss.

He pushed her against the kitchen counter, and held her tight against him.

"You know, I've booked us a room at the Pierre" Dan said.

"I don't feel like going to a hotel" Blair answered, between two kisses. "Let's stay here"

"But the kids…"

"What? They ruined our anniversary dinner"

She started kissing him in the neck.

"Blair, we are not taking revenge on our kids, especially not by having sex when they can hear us" Dan said, trying to keep composure.

"Buzz-kill" Blair said, and she went to kiss him softly on the lips.

"God, get a room" Cleo's voice broke their moment.

She went to take a water bottle in the fridge, and gave them a disgusted look right before leaving the kitchen. Dan looked at his younger daughter, then turned to Blair with a smile.

"Forget the hotel. Let's do this."

Blair laughed as he took her by the hand and let her to their room upstairs. She loved the moments when they could think about something else than their children, or their jobs. The moments when they could be just Dan and Blair, two different entities however linked by a compound.

Dan laid her on the bed, after leaving her in her underwear, and took off his own shirt before lying next to her.

He grazed her cheek with one of his thumb, amazed by how in love she looked, and how in love he felt.

"Happy Anniversary" he said.

She smiled, and took his hand on her cheek to kiss his palm. And then Dan dove to her neck, and she emitted a surprised gasp.

That night, it took Serena about twenty minutes to stop laughing after Elvis and Cleo explained why they showed up on her doorstep at midnight.

* * *

_**Did you like it? I might come up with other stories about their lives, or write the reconciliation between Ombeline and her parents, I'm not sure. If I do, it'll be published as a chapter to this story.**_

_**I must say that it is tempting to create a life for Dan and Blair in this context, and the life of their children. Henced the title : Generation Gap - GG.**_

_**Get it?**_

_**Okay, it's lame.**_

_**Love to you guys.**_

_**xo**_


	2. Chapter 2

_I have been writing a lot, lately. But the vacations are coming here in France, and I'll take a little break, otherwise, I'll never stop. Ever._

_So here is a follow up to Generation Gap. It takes in what happens in everyones lives, and how they connect with each other. Therefore, it's not Dair centric. This chapter doesn't even end with Dair. I used the style of the actual GG books, except that this is a lot of dialogues, and not really about character's introspection._

_Anyway, this is full of drama, and really useless to write, but oh well. _

**_A little reminder of who is who and the age of the kids._**

**_Vanderbaizens : Serena, Carter, Adeline 18, Vita 15._**

**_Archibalds: Nate, Ivy, Travis 21, Emily 19, Samuel_ 15.**

**_Waldorf-Humphreys : Blair, Dan, Ombeline 22, Elvis 17, Cleo 15._**

**_Also Adeline and Travis are dating, as well as Cleo and Sam, but Vita is in love with Sam. _****_Travis goes to Columbia, Emily to Harvard, Ombeline to USC and all the others to Constance-St__ Jude._**

* * *

"Elvis, I will need you to go get Nana at the airport tomorrow"

Elvis didn't move from his computer screen, and Dan could hear the music coming from his headphones. He moved closer to take them off, startling his son.

"Jesus, Dad, can't you knock?"

"I could, but I won't because this is my house" Dan replied "And you're getting Nana from the airport, tomorrow"

"What? Why me?"

"Because your mother and I are busy and Cleo doesn't drive"

"Send a cab"

Dan crossed his arms, showing Elvis that arguing was completely unnecessary. Elvis rolled his eyes.

"Fine" he sighed.

Dan smiled, getting out of the room

"Love you, son"

"Doesn't really make anything better"

Elvis went back to listening to his music and browsing through the internet for new drumsticks. From the corner of his eyes, he saw his phone buzzing on the desk. Adeline.

"What's up?" he picked up

"_I need a favor"_

"What's with everyone asking me stuff today?" he grunted "What's going on?"

"_I was wondering if you could talk to Monkey. She's not been herself lately, and she won't say a word to me_"

"Have you ever considered trying not to call her Monkey?"

"_The problem doesn't lay there, Elvis. She is in love with Sam, who happens to date your little sister. She needs guidance_"

"Why should I be the one giving it to her?"

"_It turns out that you're kind of our step-cousin, and you're the closest to her after Cleo and me_" Adeline pointed out _"Please?"_

"Alright. I'll do it. I'll take her for a car ride tomorrow"

"_Thanks_" Adeline said, not sounding relieved.

"Are you okay? You too seem a little off"

"_Yeah, well I too kinda need guidance, but I can't talk about it to my best friend, since she's still mad at me because my step-cousin cheated on her with her sister_" Adeline said dryly.

"Fair enough" Elvis said, without even an ounce of guilt in his tone "Talk to your mom?"

"_I can't_"

"Ivy?"

"_Nope_"

"Emily?"

"_Can't do_"

"Travis? He's your boyfriend right?" he said, and when he didn't hear her answer, he asked "What's going on, Addie?"

Elvis was starting to get worried, because Adeline had been this closed up to people for weeks, now. She sighed in the monitor.

"_Don't worry. I'll figure things out. Just help Monkey_"

She hung up, and Elvis dialed his mother immediately after.

"_Hi, sweetie_"

"Mom, could you talk to Addie? I think there's something going on with her, she says she needs guidance but she won't talk to anyone. I'm afraid she's going to join a cult"

"_Mmh, sure, I'll drive by her dance class after work. I think she finishes at 6_" Blair said.

"Thanks, mom"

He hung up and put his music back on, shaking his head. They wouldn't go a day without him.

/

Cleo ignored the fifth call of Sam, because she didn't want to get caught up in a phone conversation with him on the first day of her internship. He didn't understand that he was way too much of a distraction. She turned off her phone.

"Hi, you must be Cleo"

She turned around to see a tall boy looking at her. She instantly blushed. He had brown skin, and piercing blue eyes. And the way he was smiling at her.

"Hi" she answered, her voice stuck in her throat

"I'm here to give you a tour of the locals you're supposed to work in" he said, shaking her hand "My name is Thomas. Follow me"

Cleo listened religiously to everything he was saying, looked at everything he was pointing, taking notes on her little yellow pad. She bristled when he touch her back to lead her out of every room they had entered. She had never been around such a gentleman. Such a handsome gentleman.

"And this is the boss's office"

Cleo looked at the leathery door, with the golden plate written _'Mr. Charles Bass – CEO'_ written on it. She bit her lip.

"I heard Stanley Gordon designed his office"

Thomas smiled at her "He did. You know about him?"

"Are you kidding? He's the most fabulous interior designer of all time. He worked on my grandmother's house in the Hamptons" she said. "I tried to hire him to design my room, but my father wouldn't pay for it."

"Would you like to see it?" Thomas nodded toward the office.

Cleo's eyes widened "Are we allowed to go in?" she whispered.

Thomas shrugged "The boss is not here today, and there's no one around. Come on, I've done it before"

Cleo looked around, tempted. She shouldn't. But how gorgeous must it be? Seeing her hesitation, Thomas took her by the wrist and pulled her with him inside the room.

She has a small gasp when she entered. The leather chair, the mahogany desk, the librabry, the Wharols on the walls, the view on Wall Street. It was heaven. She wondered how long she would have to work before getting one exactly like that.

She turned to Thomas "You just made my day" she told him with a nervous laugh.

"Good" he smiled at her, and she melted a little.

"Do you work here?" she asked "I mean, you seem a little young to be already working in such a company"

Thomas was going to answer, but the door of the office opened and Cleo's heart stopped. She was being busted of sneaking into the boss's office on her first day. She stood there, tetanized as she recognized Chuck Bass coming in. He looked at the two of them, surprised, and then he frowned.

He walked toward his desk slowly, never taking his eyes away from her, then dropped his briefcase. He was still looking at her, standing tall and stuffing a hand in his pocket.

"You look like your mother" he said.

It was only then that Cleo breathed again. It had always been her favorite compliment.

"I've been told" she said in a squeaky voice.

A little smile broke onto his face "Which one are you? I don't even know how many children she and…I don't know how many children she had"

"I'm Cleo, sir. The youngest. I have two older siblings, Elvis and…"

"Ombeline" Chuck said, nodding.

Cleo pressed apologetically her lips. Right. He already knew her sister. Chuck turned to Thomas.

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

"No" Thomas shook his head, and Cleo was amazed by how relaxed he was "Cleo just wanted to see Stanley's work"

"Well you too go back to work, you are not here to chat" Chuck said, taking a seat in his chair.

"Alright, see you later Dad"

Cleo stretched her eyes at the word, she looked at Thomas who was grinning at her reaction. He pushed her gently toward the door, and Cleo let him, still slightly in shock. Before exiting the office, she turned around.

"Mr. Bass" she called and he looked up. She swallowed "I think she misses you. My sister, I mean"

Chuck looked at her for a little while, then smiled gently.

"Have a good day, Cleo"

/

Samuel had never been happier to get home. It had been the most stressful day he ever had to live, and on top of everything, Cleo was still not taking his calls. He assumed that she was mad from the blast and she had every right to be. But he was sort of pissed that she wouldn't even let him explain.

The house was silent. His mother had a show tonight, and his father was probably still at the office. Sam had gotten used to be alone ever since his two siblings had gone to college. He went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water, dropped his fencing equipment there, and moved to go lock himself up in his room.

"Samuel"

He stopped when he heard his father call him by his full name from his office.

"Could you come a second, please?"

When he got to his father's office, he went directly to sit in one of the chairs.

"What's up, dad?"

"I saw the blast" Nate said, looking intently at his son.

Sam frowned "You check Gossip Girl?"

"Well, since the anniversary dinner revelations, I thought it might me good to know what kind of things you kids are up to" Nate admitted.

Sam shook his head, standing up "Whatever, I don't have time for this"

"Hey sit back down, and don't talk to me that way. We're not the VanderBaizens, for Christ's sake"

Sam obeyed, not really feeling bad about his behavior.

"Talk to me" Nate said.

"What do you want me to say, Dad? Vita kissed me out of nowhere and that Cleo refuses to take my calls"

"Out of nowhere?" Nate couldn't help but laugh "Come on, kid, you're not that stupid"

"What do you mean?"

"Vita loves you"

Sam was about to answer that he knew that, but then he took in the way his father was looking at him, and he got the hint. So Vita loved him, _this way_.

"But…" he said "How?"

"Come on, you're pretty handsome" Nate said.

It didn't amuse Samuel, who looked somehow worringly pale. Nate sighed, feeling bad for his kid.

"Listen, it's going to be okay. You just have to talk to Vita, and explain her that you are in love with Cleo, but that it doesn't mean you don't love her. And tell Cleo basically the same thing, except from the part where you love Vita. She won't take it well."

Sam nodded "I'll think about it. I just need to sleep, really"

Nate let his Sam go, thinking about the irony of his son getting into a love triangle with Serena's and Blair's daughters.

/

Blair had been sitting in the car for about twenty minutes before she spotted Adeline getting out of the conservatory. She winded down the window.

"Addie!" she called "Need a ride home?"

Adeline looked at her, surprised, then rolled her eyes, hoping into the car next to Blair. Blair gave the chauffeur the sign to start driving and smile at Adeline, dusting the snow off her hair.

"Cold today, isn't it?" she asked.

"I know that Elvis sent you, Blair, but I don't really wanna talk"

"He told me that you did, but didn't know who to talk to. I am a litte cross that you never thought of me"

Adeline shook her head "It's not that. I can't talk to you"

"Why not?" Blair frowned "What's going on?"

Adeline didn't answer, but looked out the window. She had always been the most secretive of the children.

"Why don't we go back to my place and have a cup of tea?" Blair asked. "The house should be empty at this hour"

Adeline shrugged, then nodded, still not looking at Blair. When they got to her place, Blair led her directly to the kitchen.

"Where is everyone?" Adeline asked, because she couldn't remember the last time she had heard the Waldorf-Humphrey residence being this silent.

Usually, there was always Elvis's music, or Cleo screaming at him, or Dan and Blair bickering about things like where their latest art acquirement should be placed.

"Elvis is working backstage on Ivy's play tonight, and Cleo texted me to say she was hanging out with some people she met at her internship today. Dan should be home in about an hour, but he won't disturb us"

Adeline pursed her lips. Blair had probably told Dan that she was inviting her over for tea. That was the thing she never understood in this couple, they always told each other _everything_. She was therefore a bit wary at the idea of talking to her.

Once they both had a cup of tea in their hands, Blair took her to the living room and made her sat on the couch next to her.

"So, darling, tell me. Is it something at school?"

"No, everything is great there, as usual"

Blair nodded with a smile. Not only she was the smartest student at Constance, but she also had this blond hair, those blue eyes and her father's smile that obviously made everyone instantly love her.

"Is something wrong with Travis?" Blair tempted, knowing that even Addie wasn't immune to boys problems.

"Not really" she said.

But then Blair was startled when Adeline broke into tears in front of her. She put down her cup and held Adeline in her arms.

"I'm really starting to get worried, Addie. You _have_ to tell me what's going on"

Adeline shook her head, still crying. Blair almost swore when she heard the front door opening. The sobs led Dan to the living room, and he seemed shocked by what he was witnessing.

"What's going on?" he asked.

He went to sit next to them, and Blair put Adeline in his arms.

"I'm gonna get her a something to calm her down" she said.

Dan nodded while he closed his arms around Adeline, trying to sooth her the best he could, whispering words of comfort. He was wondering why Blair hadn't called Serena. Blair came back with a glass of water and a little pill that she handed to Adeline.

"Here, take this" she said "It's just a little anxiolytic"

Adeline looked at the pill, and shook her head, crying harder.

"I can't take that"

"It'll help, I promise"

Adeline sniffed, and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She stopped crying, and wiped the humidity on her face.

"I'm pregnant" she said.

Blair put down the glass of water not to drop it and sat numbly on the couch, in shock. Dan looked at his wife, then back to Adeline.

"Okay" he said in a calm voice "Are you sure?"

"I took three tests"

Dan nodded, thinking about how Carter would lose his mind if he heard. Once he heard.

"For how long?"

"I don't know" Adeline shook her head "I couldn't bring myself to go to the doctor"

"I'll take you to mine" Dan said, stroking her hair "He practices in Queens, no one will hear"

Adeline nodded in gratefulness.

"Does Travis know?" Dan asked.

Adeline shook her head again. Dan took a deep breath, thinking about Nate.

"You need to tell him. He's strong, he can take it, and you can't go through this alone"

Dan looked at her. She was so young. She had a whole, bright, successful future ahead of her. He couldn't believe it was happening to her, of all people.

"Thank you, Uncle Dan" she said "And you too, Blair. It does feel good to be able to talk about it"

"You can come to us anytime, Addie. You know that"

"Can you keep it for yourself, for now?"

Blair snapped out of her numbness. She couldn't lie to Serena. But Adeline was looking at them with such pleading eyes.

"We will" she said.

"I need to get ready for Ivy's play, tonight" Adeline stood up, and took her things with her "I'll see you later. Thank you, really"

"Sure"

Dan escorted her to the door, and went back to the living room. Blair hadn't moved.

"Oh my God" she said, looking at Dan

"I know"

He sat back down on the couch, and took Blair into his arms, kissing her on her forehead.

"We need to go see Ombeline" Blair said "We need to talk to her, Dan"

They hadn't spoken to Ombeline since their anniversary, and now the Christmas break had started, but she hadn't come home yet. Dan nodded.

"I'll book a flight for tomorrow" he said.

Elvis and Cleo were going to kill them for leaving them alone with Nana.

/

They were all dressed smartly, waiting for the play to start. Cleo was running late, and Samuel was chatting with Elvis, looking at the entrance of the Theatre from time to time to check her arrival. Vita was a few steps from him, talking with her parents and her sister. They hadn't talked to each other. He assumed she was avoiding him as much as he was avoiding her.

"Are you sure your sister is coming?" he asked.

Elvis laughed "I'm sure. What, you can't go a few hours without her?"

Samuel looked at him. He didn't know about the blast. Elvis was one of the few who didn't follow Gossip Girl. He saw Cleo come into the Theatre, not at all dressed up for the event. She was walking toward them with an angry step, and his heart pressed into his chest. She looked like she was going to strangle someone with her headband. She walked past him, just giving him the coldest look she had ever directed at him, and stopped in front of an anxious Vita.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Blair asked, surprised.

"Why did you do this?" Cleo asked Vita, ignoring her mother.

Vita didn't answer, just crossed her arms, waiting for the wrath.

"Why would you do this to me? Is it because of the internship?" Cleo raised her voice, and all the adults looked at each other, confused.

"Not everything is about you, Cleo" Vita said dryly.

"Well, it is _my_ boyfriend that you kissed" Cleo said, pointing at Samuel.

"He was my friend, before becoming your boyfriend"

"And what am I to you, then? A simple next-door neighbor? We're cousins, for Christ's sake!"

"I was just sick of you always taking everything for granted, okay?" Vita raised her voice too. "You always act like you get everything because it's simply the way it should be"

"No, I get everything because I work for it! You're just jealous, because he chose my intelligence over your big boobs and perfect hair" Cleo said "I actually use my head to get the things I want, unlike you"

Serena and Blair looked at each other, sharing the sentiment of dejà vu. Cleo turned to Samuel.

"How could you do this to me?"

"I can explain, C" Samuel said, taking a step forward.

"You know what? Save it. I don't want to hear from any of you" Cleo said "I'm going home"

She walked off, leaving them all in a heavy silence. The lights starting flickering, indicating that the play was about to start.

/

It didn't take long for Milo to find Travis sitting in the bar. Everything was loud, and joyful, but Travis seemed to be impervious to the ambiance, sipping gloomily on his beer.

"Hey, man" he said when he saw Milo "Thanks for meeting me. I hope I didn't disturb your work.

"I needed a break" Milo shrugged, waving the waitress for a beer. "What's up?"

"Addie is pregnant"

"What?"

Milo looked closely at Travis. His eyes were read, he had clearly been crying and he seemed under the shock.

"Are you serious?" Milo asked, then regretted, because Travis was clearly serious.

"I don't know what to do. She said Dan was taking her to the doctor to find out how long it's been, but she didn't even ask me to go with her."

"Well, you could always suggest" the waitress put his beer in front of him, he thanked her with just a look. "She's probably scared"

"I am terrified" Travis said "I don't even have a college degree yet"

"And she hasn't even graduated from high school yet, Trav" Milo pointed out. "She's top of her class, and Harvard has been basically saving a spot for her and shit. I'm not playing at who should freak out more, but it's clearly her."

"My father is going to kill me. Then Carter will dismember my body and burn it"

It made Milo laugh in spite of himself. Travis put his head in his hands.

"Shit, I thought we were being careful. I think the worst part is that we've only had sex three times, and I was her first, man"

"Fuck" Milo said "She is never having sex again, after that. Talk about a trauma"

Travis grunted. He finished his beer, and asked for another one.

"Go easy" Milo told him

"Let me appreciate, Miles" Travis said "I haven't even been allowed to drink legally for a month, and now I'm going to be a father"

"Fair enough"

Travis took a long gulp from his second beer, emptying half of it.

"So. What are you gonna do?" Milo asked.

Travis shook his head "I don't know, man"

/

Elvis knocked on Vita's door, but she didn't answer. He tried a second time.

"V, it's Elvis, open up"

After a few seconds, the door clicked open, and Vita appeared.

"Did your sister send you to beat me up?"

"Nah, she does all of the beating up herself now" Elvis said, leaning against the door frame "I'm going for a ride, I thought you'd like to come. I know how much you like Rufus's car"

Vita narrowed her eyes at him "What do you want, Elvis?"

"After last night, I figured that you'd need a friend"

"Even though your sister and I got into a huge fight"

Elvis shrugged "I can't stand that brat, I'm picking your side"

Vita rolled her eyes, because she knew it was a lie. Elvis never picked sides.

"Let me take my coat" she said, nevertheless.

Elvis promised Carter to bring Vita back in one piece, and they got together in the car. She picked the music on the radio that his father had fixed, and Elvis let her, because their tastes were pretty similar. She usually went to all of his shows, and he liked to tease her by calling her his groupie.

"So, how are you, Monkey?"

"I knew Adeline was behind it" Vita sighed when she heard the nickname her sister gave her. "It's ridiculous"

"What is it about Sam, that is so special for you to fight over him?" Elvis asked, looking at the road.

"It's not about, Sam. Not only. It's about a lot of things. I just got sick of her behavior. And now, Sam doesn't even call her on her shit anymore, cause he thinks she is the most perfect human being on earth"

"He's in love, V"

"He shouldn't be. She is horrible"

"You do realize it's my little sister, right?"

Vita shrugged "You're the one who wanted to talk"

Elvis laughed.

"I'm really sorry that the guy you love is in love with someone else. But it was wrong of you to kiss him, in Time Square, in front of all of those cellphones"

Vita brought her feet on the car seat, playing with her shoelaces.

"I was going to tell him" she said "Last year, at your parents' anniversary, I was going to tell him. But then the food fight happened, and I went to clean up my hair, and when I went back to Cleo's room, they were kissing"

Elvis didn't say anything, he could only imagine how hard it must have been for her.

"It's always been the three of us, always. And then they've marginalized me, started doing things without me. So I figured, if I had to lose my friend, at least he would know how I really feel about him. That's why I kissed him"

"You'll get over it, V" Elvis said "I promise. It might hurt right now, but you're getting older and more awesome every day. It'll pass"

Vita nodded, she wanted to believe him. She looked at the road, and read the signs, to see where they were.

"Are we going to JFK?" she asked, frowning.

Elvis started humming the music on the radio. Vita turned it off.

"Elvis, when is Nana supposed to arrive?"

"It's such a beautiful day"

Vita groaned in frustration, understanding his scheme. He was taking her to JFK picking up Nana with him, because being Lily Van der Woodsen's granddaughter, to Nana Vita was basically the anti-Christ. Nana would leave Elvis alone and focus on insulting her.

"I hate you" she told him.

"You know you love me" Elvis winked at her with a grin, and she punched him in the arm when he added mockingly " x.o.x.o!"

/

Ombeline opened the front door of her apartment to find her parents beaming at her.

"What are you doing on this side of the country?" she asked

"Surprise" they both said, their smile widening.

She didn't smile back, simply took a step aside to let them in. Her roommate, Becky, started putting away the empty bottles of alcohol displayed on the coffee table.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey" she said awkwardly "So nice to see you"

"You too" Blair said, looking suspiciously at the mess of the living room "What happened here?"

"Oh just a little celebration" Becky shrugged, her arms full of bottles.

"Celebrating what?" Blair asked.

Dan put a hand on her shoulder to stop her "Come on, Blair, you must remember being young, somewhere inside"

"I remember being pregnant, at their age" Blair raised an eyebrow at him.

"Becky, would you leave us a minute?" Ombeline asked, hands on the hips.

"With pleasure" Becky said, obviously relieved. She went to the kitchen and closed the door behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Ombeline asked her parents, sitting on her couch.

Dan and Blair looked at each other.

"We came to tell you to come home, already" Dan said "We miss you"

"You flew across the country to take me home?" Ombeline asked "I'm not five, you know"

"Perhaps if you stopped acting like you were" Blair started but Dan nudged her. She took a deep breath, and pursed her lips at Ombeline's defiant look "We also came to apologize"

Ombeline's attention was caught "For what?"

"For not realize how everything that happened in the past had been hard on you" Dan said "Even though you were fairly very little"

He sat on the couch next to her "The worst part is, Serena and Nate both warned us, at the time that what we were doing could be affecting you. But neither of us listened. We were selfish, and irresponsible, and we're sorry."

He smiled and opened his arms for her. Ombeline rolled her eyes, but went anyway, hugging him tight.

"We love you" Dan said "You know that, right?"

"I do. I love you too"

The broke the embrace, and Ombeline looked at Blair who was still standing. She hadn't said anything, and she was just looking at them.

"I'm taking you out for a hot cocoa" Dan said "Get dressed, Omby. Then we'll come back here and help you pack"

Ombeline looked at her mother a bit more, then snorted bitterly and went to her room. When she was gone, Dan stood up to face Blair.

"What was that about?" he whispered.

"What?"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"You were always better at the talking" Blair shrugged "It was fine"

"She needed to hear it from you too, Blair"

"So what was I supposed to do? Repeat exactly what you said?" Blair rolled her eyes.

Dan knew she was too proud, and that it was the main problem between Ombeline and her. The strange thing was that they had a perfectly open relationship until Ombeline grew up, and moved to California for college.

"You of all people should know how it feels, to have a mother who won't talk openly to you" he said.

Blair didn't answer because Ombeline was coming back into the living room, all dressed. They went to the nearest tea salon, and while Dan went to order, Blair and Ombeline took a table. Ombeline kept her eyes fixed on the window shop. Blair sighed.

"Really?" she said "You're not even going to look at me?"

"You couldn't even apologize" Ombeline said.

"Because there was nothing to apologize for"

Ombeline turned her head back to her "Are you serious, mom?"

"I cheated" Blair threw her arms in the air "I cheated with you father, a thousand years ago, but I already made amends about it to the people that I should have, and you don't happen to be one of them. Because hadn't we done it, you probably wouldn't have a brother and a sister and a loving family."

"So you're going to use our lives as an excuse for your dishonesty?"

"That's what you don't get, Ombeline. It was when you father and I saw each other that we were being the most honest. We loved each other. And while it doesn't make it okay to hurt other people under that pretense, we did" Blair reached out to take her daughter's hand in hers "It was when we were apart, before and after the affair, him with Sonja, me with Chuck, pretending that you were the only thing that we had in common that we were being dishonest."

Blair reached inside her purse, and took out a tiara.

"What is that?" Ombeline asked, not really understanding what her mother was doing with it.

"It's a cubic zirconia tiara, that your father gave me once, when we were young"

"…Why?" Ombeline was confused.

"It's a long story" Blair smiled, the nostalgia taking her over "I wanted to give it to you on your wedding day, but I'm giving it to you now, so I'll save the story for later. The point is, your father and I may have done bad things, but I fall in love with him again and again, every time I wake up next to him. And this is the kind of thing that I wish for you, your sister and your brother. To find a right good kind of love; pure and simple"

Ombeline looked at her mother, touched by her confession. She looked over at her father coming toward them with the cocoa cups. He did look pretty happy.

"Now can you come home, already?" Blair asked "So we can have Christmas all together?"

Ombeline nodded and leaned over the table to take Blair in her arms.

"I love you, mommy"

/

Cleo felt worse than humiliated, she felt betrayed. Sam had tried to call her, again and again, and eventually, she blocked his number. At least it had happened during the holidays, but once school would start, Cleo would have to face all the whispering, and the giggling on her path.

And on top of that, she shared half of her classes with Vita and Sam. She was really considering asking her mother to move to France with Eleanor.

Her phone rang, and she looked at it warily, knowing it wasn't Sam, but hoping it wasn't Vita. When she saw the caller ID, she picked up hastily.

"Hello"

"Hey" Thomas's voice was suave on the phone "I was wondering what you were doing tonight"

She was supposed to have dinner with Nana and Elvis, since her parents were in California.

"I haven't planned anything yet" she said, trying to sound casual.

"Some friends from school and I are having a little gathering. Wanna join?"

She looked through her window at Vita's house, next to her own. Perhaps she would face better going back to school if she had new friends.

"What school do you go to?" she asked.

"Riverside Prep"

It was a school for boys, known for their parties where excess was the order.

"What's the address?" she asked.

Elvis came back with Nana, who started complaining about how it was too cold, and there was no enough light, and how the paintings on the walls were depressing. She also asked where was Ombeline, and was disappointed to hear that she hadn't arrived yet. Nana had never hidden that Ombeline was her favorite.

Cleo volunteered to cook dinner. The sooner they ate, the sooner she could sneak out of the house. After dinner she called a car service and got dressed quickly, focusing more on her make up. She knew that Thomas was a senior, and she assumed that so were all of his friends. She was only a sophomore and she needed to look older to fit in.

When didn't put her heels on, while going down the stairs to avoid making noise. Unfortunately for her, Elvis was just getting out of the kitchen with a glass of milk. He blinked when he saw her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Out with friends"

"What friends?" he asked "You won't talk to neither Vita nor Sam"

"I have other friends" she raises her chins

"We happen to go to the same school, so I know you don't"

"They don't go to our school. I met them recently" she rolled her eyes at him, making her way to the front door.

"What school do they go to?"

"Riverside Prep" she said defiantly.

"There is no way in hell, you're going to a RP party. I'll rat you out, you know I will"

Cleo put her heels and coat on "So they'll ground me? Christmas is in three days and Ombeline is coming back. It's not like I was going anywhere"

She closed the door behind her, and got into the waiting town car. She hated how Elvis always acted like he was her father, whenever Dan was not around.

The party was in a penthouse overlooking Central Park. Cleo couldn't believe that her parents had settled for a miserable house in Brooklyn rather than this. She couldn't wait to move out. Thomas introduced her to all of his friends, mostly boys and two girls. As soon as she arrived, someone put a glass of vodka in her hand, and someone else proposed her a joint. She refused the latter, and sipped shyly on her glass.

At some point, Thomas invited her to dance, and she gladly accepted, putting her hands on his shoulders and letting him guide her.

"Whose place is it?" she asked loudly enough to be heard over the music.

"My father's" he answered.

"It's amazing" she said

"Thanks. You live in Brooklyn, right?"

Cleo nodded, looking down. Thomas laughed.

"Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I love Brooklyn, they have the best bars"

"You go to bars?" she asked, surprised.

"Don't you?"

She felt embarrassingly young and uptight "It's not really my thing"

Thomas turned her around, and brought her back flush with his front, making them move in rhythm. His hands were on her thighs, she had never been touched this way. She pulled away from him a little.

"What's going on?" he asked, stroking gently her cheek.

"I need another drink" she said, hoping the alcohol would help her relax.

It did. Within an hour, she was dancing with Thomas and talking with people like she was used to those kind of things. She reminded herself of Vita at parties. She let Thomas give her a tour of the apartment that ended in his room. Only there, he kissed her and she let him too, because it felt good to be truly appreciated, and to know that no one could take it from her.

However, when he pressed her against the door and she felt his hand travel toward the hem of her dress, she pushed him gently away.

"I'm sorry" he said "I must've had one too many"

"It's okay"

She went to sit on his bed, and he joined her, taking her hand.

"I really like you, you know" he told her

"You're drunk"

"I liked you before" he said, pushing a strand of her hair aside.

He pressed his lips on her neck, and she shivered. He probably took it as a signal, because then he was pushing her on the bed and lying on top of her. Cleo didn't know what she was doing. She hadn't even really broken up with Sam. He was probably moping in his room, waiting for her call and she was making out with someone else, about three blocks away from his house.

She didn't really know how it happened, but it did, and when it was over, Cleo quickly dressed up and muttured she had to go. Thomas tried to keep her, but she was too fast, and she didn't even had her coat on before she went out the street.

It was cold, and dark and she felt alone, and confused. She walked by herself, until the emotion was too strong and she couldn't walk anymore. She sat in front of a building and cried, for she didn't know how long before taking out her phone. She couldn't call Vita, she couldn't call Sam, and after the way she had behaved, she felt ashamed to call Elvis.

So she dialed the only other person in the city that she could rely on, even in the middle of the night. It didn't take Travis long to arrive where she was, since he was staying at the Columbia dorms. He didn't ask any question, just took her to his room with him and put her to sleep on his gone roommate's bed.

When Travis turned off the lights, he listened to her breathing and didn't fall asleep until it steadied. As he drifted off, he thought that perhaps it was what it felt like, to be a father, only magnified. He wasn't sure he was ready for it.

* * *

_I leave this open, but don't expect a follow up anytime soon. I'm just going to casually write the continuity of their adventures everytime I have time on my hand and a shitload of Dair feelings._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed._

_See ya, lovelies._

_xo_


	3. Chapter 3

_So this keeps happening. I really don't know how I still come up with chapters for this, but I think I might be gettting attached to the characters._

**_A little reminder of who is who and the age of the kids, and what has happened:_**

**_Vanderbaizens : Serena, Carter, Adeline 18, Vita 15._**

**_Archibalds: Nate, Ivy, Travis 21, Emily 19, Samuel_ 15.**

**_Waldorf-Humphreys : Blair, Dan, Ombeline 22, Elvis 17, Cleo 15._**

**_Also Adeline and Travis are dating, as well as Cleo and Sam, but Vita is in love with Sam. It's still the holiday break. Ombeline made peace with her parents about shutting out Sonja and Chuck from her life, Vita kissed Sam and it went on Gossip Girl, and Adeline told Dan and Blair that she was pregnant._**

**_Last chapter, I introduced you to Thomas Bass, 17. We get to know him a bit more in this chapter._**

* * *

It was incredibly cold. Emily was used to cold, she lived in Boston. But at some point during the previous night, she had lost her tights and now, her fur coat didn't prevent the temperature from freezing her blood. She sighed of relief when she got into the warmth of her parents' building.

The apartment was quiet, she assumed that only Sam was there. She took off her heels and staggered to the kitchen, finding her little brother having lunch on the kitchen island. He laughed when he saw her.

"You look terrible"

"I feel terrible. Coffee?"

She sat down, dropping her coat on the kitchen floor and took her heavy head into her hands, while Sam moved to prepare her a cup.

"Where are mom and dad?" she asked.

"They said they needed alone time and went out to lunch, leaving me behind to starve to death"

"Irresponsible" Emily shook her head.

When Sam put down the cup in front of her, she took in the delicious smell, before taking a sip.

"You're the best, Sam"

He laughed, and went back to eating.

"Rough night?" he asked.

"Awesome night, that's more like it. I threw up only once"

Sam shook his head "You are so going to fail your freshman year"

"Please. Harvard is a piece of cake, compared to Constance. How's school for you?"

"Not bad" Sam shrugged. He looked down to his plate "But I'm not eager to go back. Cleo still won't talk to me"

Emily took out her pack of cigarette and lit one "She's a bitch, Sam"

"She's my girlfriend, and I love her"

"I love her too. But she's a bitch. So what, Vita kissed you?"

"You don't understand, Ems"

"I understand that at your age, Dad was certain he was going to end up married with Aunt B. And look how that worked out"

Sam didn't have the time to answer, because they heard someone coming into the apartment. Emily thought about killing off the cigarette, because her parents did not know she smoked. Then she figured the smell was already in the air, and she was too hungover to come up with a plausible lie. Fortunately, it was Travis coming in, and not one of their parents.

"Good, you're here" Travis said "Where are the folks?"

"Out" Sam answered. He looked at his older brother "Are you okay? You look pale"

"I have something to tell you, guys" Travis kissed them both hello, on the top of their heads "But you have to swear not to repeat to the parents. I'm going to tell them, after New Years' eve."

"What's going on?"

Travis took a deep breath "Addie is pregnant. And I'm the father"

Sam dropped his fork, along with his jaw. Emily looked at Travis with narrowed eyes, then threw her cigarette in her coffee mug.

"Fuck it" she said, getting out of the kitchen "I'm still too baked for this"

/

Blair knocked softly on Dan's office door before getting in. He was sitting at his desk, computer open in front of him but he was gazing in the air, thoughtful.

"Hey" she whispered.

Dan pushed his chair away from the desk and Blair went to sit on his laps.

"How did the appointment to the doctor go?" she asked, stroking his hair.

"Good. I mean, fine. He said Addie might be around six weeks along."

Blair nodded, still trying to get used to the whole situation.

"When is she planning to tell Serena and Carter?"

"She said she and Travis will officially tell everyone after New Year."

"It's in three days"

Dan nodded. They stayed there for a while, thinking about their niece that they had watched grow. The doorbell rang, breaking their moment.

"I'll get it" Dan sighed, knowing Elvis who was the only other one in the house wouldn't bother leave his room upstairs.

He went to the front door, while Blair went to the kitchen. There was a teenage boy standing at the door. Dan knew instantly he was someone from the Upper East Side, based on his impeccable outfit. Dan didn't know him, though.

"Hi" the boy said "I was wondering if Cleo was home"

Dan crossed his arms, eying the boy suspiciously. He certainly didn't like having a boy asking for his youngest daughter.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Thomas" the boy answered, chest out, respectful.

"Cleo never mentioned you"

"We met about a week ago, at her internship. She resigned and…I just wanted to make sure she was okay"

"Dan?" Blair's voice rose behind them. "Why are you leaving this boy outside, under the snow?"

Dan groaned slightly, and took a step aside to let the boy in.

"He's here to see Cleo" Dan said, giving Blair a pointed look.

Blair smiled at the boy, probably at how handsome he was. She went to shake his hand.

"We're her parents" she said

"Yeah, I figured" Thomas had a nervous laugh "So, is she home?"

"No, she's out with her sister, but she'll be back shortly. Come have tea with us"

Blair showed him to the living room, and Dan rolled his eyes. He didn't like it. At all. Blair went to prepare the tea while Dan and Thomas sat in silence. He would rather wait for Blair before starting on the interrogation. Once Blair was back, sitting next to him, Dan attacked.

"What school do you go to?" he asked.

"Riverside Prep"

"Very good school" Blair nodded, another smile on her face. "We actually considered it for our son, but since everyone in the family went to St-Jude, we decided on this one"

"I think I played soccer against his team. Elvis Humphrey, right?"

"Exactly"

"He's very good"

"We know" Dan said.

This boy was awfully polite. Blair smiled when he declined sugar in his tea, and settled for a cloud of milk.

"And what year are you in?" Dan asked.

"I'm a senior"

"Oh, I didn't know Cleo knew any seniors, let alone people from other schools" Blair said.

"Who are your parents?" Dan asked.

"Dan!" Blair scoffed "Why don't you ask him for his social security number after?"

"I just want to know what kind of person he is. I'm sure he understands" Dan looked at Thomas.

Thomas put down his cup of tea, and rubbed his hands on his trousers nervously.

"My little brother and sister, Calvin and Meredith, and I are orphans, actually, and we were adopted five years ago"

Blair nodded, understanding, but the story didn't make Dan flinch.

"And who adopted you?"

"Dan!"

"What?" Dan shrugged at Blair defensively.

"Thomas, please excuse my husband. He is just stressed out"

"It's fine" Thomas said "Charles Bass is our adoptive father"

Blair and Dan were both silenced in the shock. Thomas pursed his lips, indicating them that he knew about their history with Chuck. There was an awkward silence before Blair was the first one to regain capacity.

"We didn't know that Chuck had adopted"

"Almost no one knows" Thomas said "He met us when he was visiting our orphanage, which he donated money to, and he saw me collecting baseball cards. We bonded, and he didn't want people to think it was just an act of fake charity to take us in"

"Did he ever get married?" Blair couldn't help asking, and Dan frowned at her.

Thomas shook his head "I think he's had a few girlfriends, but we never met them. He's been single for a while, now"

Dan didn't say anything, his jaw was too tense for him to open his mouth. At least now he knew why this boy seemed so suspicious. They heard the front door open, and Ombeline's voice rang out.

"Daddy! We bought you a new jacket, so you don't have to wear that ridiculous plaid thing anymore!"

"Ridiculous?" Cleo's voice said "Try insanely hideous"

"We're in the living room" Blair said loudly.

The girls came in, and Cleo froze when she saw Thomas sitting on the couch. He got up, giving her a little wave. Cleo's eyes went from him, to her parents. She took in Blair's smile, and Dan's clenched jaw.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Thomas

"I wanted to see you"

"So you stalked me?"

"Cleo, be nice" Blair warned.

"You don't have to be" Dan muttered, and Blair hit him on the shoulder.

She stood up, taking Dan's arm and dragged him out of the living room, along with Ombeline who was looking curiously at everyone. Once they were alone, Thomas took a step closer to Cleo.

"Why did you resign from the internship?" he asked "Is it because of what hap…"

"Shut up!" Cleo hissed. "Not here, let's go out"

She pushed him toward the front door, very well aware of her parents and her sister staring at them until they were outside.

/

Serena was pacing nervously in her kitchen, biting her nails. She had called Carter about five times, left him three messages to tell them to get home and he still wasn't there. When she heard the front door opening, she immediately ran to the foyer. Carter was just getting out of his coat and dusting the snow off his shoulder.

"Where the hell have you been?" she yelled, making him jump.

"Jesus, what the fuck?" he asked, his eyes round "Did somebody die?"

"I've been calling you for the past two hours!"

"There was some trouble on the show…what's going on?"

Serena rubbed her hands nervously, looking at him warily. Carter frowned and went to take her hands in his.

"Babe, what is going on? Is it something with the girls? Did you have another fight with Addie?"

Serena shook her head "Carter. Please don't freak out"

"You're the one freaking me out, right now, Serena"

"I'm pregnant"

Carter's heart missed a beat. Then two.

"What?"

Serena couldn't bring herself to repeat, so she just nodded. Carter's grasp on her hands tightened.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck" he said.

"Putting my thoughts into words"

"What…how? Oh, fuck"

"I know" Serena sighed, desperate.

"What are we going to do?" Carter asked, breath short "We're too old to have a baby. You're turning forty-four next month, and I'm already forty-six"

"I know" Serena repeated.

"Are you sure it's not menopause?"

Serena frowned, and yanked her hands away from him.

"Yes, I am sure, you ass"

"When she'll be twenty, I'll be sixty-six" Carter said, gazing in the air.

"_She?_" Serena noted.

Carter shrugged "It'll be a girl, obviously. I mean, we already have two"

It was only then that Serena relaxed. She laughed, and took her husband in her arms.

"You know what?" she said "I think we can make it"

Carter put his hands on her hips, bringing her closer "Really? You wanna go for another round?"

Serena nodded "I'll go on any kind of adventure with you. You know that"

Carter leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips, then stroke her cheek.

"So will I, beautiful"

/

Cleo and Thomas started walking around the block, and once they were far enough from her house, she turned to him.

"Look, I'm sorry I resigned but…"

"It's not only that" Thomas said "You wouldn't take any of my calls, and you never answered my texts"

"I was busy"

"That's bullshit" Thomas shook his head "If I had known you would regret it that much, I wouldn't have slept with you"

"Of course I regret it" Cleo said, feeling a bit of shame rushing through her "I have a boyfriend"

"And what does this have to do with me? You never told me"

"We knew each other for two days" Cleo said "Sorry for not sharing my life history with you"

"Well I really wish you had" Thomas sounded bitter "Because I wouldn't have kidded myself by thinking you actually liked me. Goodbye, Cleo"

He turned around, walking away with a stiff step. Cleo hesitated before going after him.

"Thomas, wait, don't be mad" she touched his shoulder so he would stop "I like you. I do. But Sam and I have been together for a year and…we love each other. Always have, always will. But everything is so complicated right now"

"It's really not, Cleo. I like you, you like me and you slept with me, even though you claim to be in love with your boyfriend"

"I was in a really bad place that night, and I was drunk. It should have never happened"

"I get it" Thomas said "You didn't mean to cheat on him with me, but it happened, and don't blame it on your mood or the alcohol. You wanted this"

Cleo didn't answer. She just looked down to her boots. Thomas got closer to lift her chin up with his forefinger.

"Just give me a chance" he said "A chance to prove that I care about you. I don't want it to end like this"

His hand moved from her chin to cup her cheek, and Cleo didn't move away when he leaned down to kiss her. She kissed back, unaware of Vita passing by them on the road, riding her bike home.

/

It was New Year's eve, and Ombeline and Emily were standing in the middle of the hall of the Met at a gala. They both wore long dresses, and had a glass of champagne in their hand.

"Explain again why we're here, instead of getting hammered in Time Square?" Emily asked.

"Come on, it's nice"

"You hate that kind of things" Emily pointed out, smiling at a man looking at her by the bar.

"Not always" Ombeline shrugged "Besides, you need to go easy on the parties, okay?"

"Life is a party, Omby. And certainly not that kind" Emily waved around them.

Ombeline rolled her eyes "Let's just stay after countdown, and then go somewhere more fun. Deal?"

"Depends" Emily said, still smiling at the man by the bar.

Ombeline followed her glance.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked "That guy is like thirty"

"So?" Emily raised an eyebrow "I'm nineteen, it's legal"

Ombeline shook her head, laughing.

"Why didn't Trav come with us?"

"He's at some Columbia Law school party with Milo" Emily shrugged "If you'll excuse me, now, I'm going to work on having someone to kiss, at midnight"

She emptied her glass before putting it down, and brushing pass Ombeline, heading to the bar. Ombeline watched her go with a smile. She looked around, feeling exposed now that she was alone. She didn't want to tell Emily her real purpose for coming to such a posh event, and now that her friend was busy, Ombeline decided to put her plan into work.

She walked to a table of middle-aged men, and stopped in front of it, looking at one of them, her heart pounding in her chest.

Chuck had a light smile when he saw her, and excused himself from the others, standing up. He went to stand in front of her, taking her hand in his to place a kiss on it.

"Ombeline" he said "It's been too long"

Ombeline's voice was trapped in her throat, but she smiled back at him.

"Six years" she said "At Thanksgiving, at Nate and Ivy's"

"Right" Chuck nodded "You've really grown up. What college do you go to?"

"USC" she said, her voice in a little squeak. She coughed "I'm graduating this year, actually"

"What major?"

"Screenwriting" she said, and it made Chuck laugh.

"Like father, like daughter"

She shrugged, still smiling. He looked so old. She barely recognized him.

"I hope it's not too inappropriate for me to come see you"

"Not at all, I am very pleased. I am glad to see that you've grown into such a beautiful woman. It seems like yesterday you were throwing cookies at me"

Ombeline blushed "Did I really do that?"

Chuck nodded "You had a phase, and I was your favorite target. Probably your Humphrey blood"

She finished her glass, and Chuck got them two other ones.

"Thank you for the birthday cards" she said, softly.

"It's normal" Chuck said "Does Serena still buy you a Tutti Frutti cake?"

"She does! You know about that?"

"It was the tradition" Chuck shrugged. "I remember that time when you tried to feed your stuffed penguin some. What was its name, again? Mr. Freezoo?"

Ombeline nodded, then tilted her head to the side, processing how much he knew about her, and how little she knew about him.

"Did we have any traditions?" Ombeline asked "You, me and mom?"

Chuck looked down to his glass, and Ombeline regretted asking. But then he had a little laugh and looked back up.

"When we lived in Geneva, it was usually a nightmare to get you to bed" he said "You would scream, and kick and cry. Always try to come up with an excuse not to go to sleep, and your mom would sometimes guard the door for twenty minutes until you fell asleep"

"That does sound like me" Ombeline chuckled.

"So, when your mom was working late, and Laura, the housekeeper was already gone, I would take you to my office, and give you colored pencils and a sheet of paper, while I was working. Then you were really calm, happy not to have to go to bed. And when I heard the front door open, I would take you quickly to your room, pretending that you had been asleep for hours"

Ombeline wished she could remember that kind of story.

"What else?" she asked.

Chuck sighed, and made her sit at an empty table with him. He told her the tale of their lives together, remembering every little detail, and Ombeline listened, until the countdown started.

/

Vita left the dance floor as soon as she saw Elvis entering the party. He looked dashing in his suit, and his brown curls were for once disciplined with gel. She threw her arms around him, giggling.

"What took you so long?" she asked. "I had to start the party without you"

"I can see that" Elvis laughed, kissing her on the cheek "Zeke and I had another thing before coming to this"

"Ooh, is he here?" Vita looked around.

"Don't even think about it. I already told him that my steps cousins are off limits to him"

"Kill joy" Vita stuck out her tongue at him.

"Is Cleo here?" Elvis asked, moving to the bar with her.

"No, was she supposed to be?"

"She said she was going to a party. I figured it was this one"

"Perhaps she's with her new boyfriend" Vita shrugged, before snapping her fingers at one of her minions "Go get me another cocktail. And if you spill it again, that'll be the last thing you'll do at this party tonight"

The girl almost ran to the cocktail bar.

"I see you've decided to take back your throne" Elvis said.

"Just for tonight" Vita started dancing again.

"What did you mean, when you said Cleo was with her new boyfriend?"

"I saw her kissing this guy, not far from our houses the other day"

"Who was he?" Elvis frowned.

"Don't know, don't care" Vita shrugged, still dancing.

The girl came back with a cosmopolitan, and waited as Vita took the first sip. She cringed.

"This is the worst thing I've ever tasted" she said, putting the glass back into the girl's hand "You can keep it. And don't bother coming to sit on the steps when we start school again"

The girl went away, and Elvis gave Vita a pointed look.

"What's going on with you?" he asked.

"I'm celebrating New Year" she said innocently

"And you're doing so by turning into a raging bitch?"

Vita gasped "Addie was too soft to take the lead, so the role naturally fell on me. It's more like a burden, if you have to know"

"I'm sure it is" Elvis said.

He spotted a girl that he had never seen before, and Vita followed his look.

"She's from Chicago" she said "I think she's related to the Thorpes"

Elvis nodded "Well, I shall be a good New Yorker and welcome her properly"

"Sure" Vita said.

When Elvis moved away, Vita saw Samuel sitting by himself, a beer in his hand. He was looking at the people dancing, a slight smile on his face. Vita started walking toward him, and he stiffened when he saw her coming.

"Relax, I'm not going to kiss you again" she said, sitting next to him.

Samuel moved slightly away from her, and she just closed the distance.

"You look nice" she said.

"So do you" he answered, not looking at her. "Your dress is very…sparkly"

"Thanks, I guess"

They laughed a little together. Then Sam frowned.

"Have you talked to Cleo?" he asked.

Vita shook her head "Have you?"

"No. She blocked my number. But if she had taken my calls, it would probably have been to break up with me?"

Vita raised her eyebrows "You guys are still together?"

Sam sighed "Well, we never actually broke up, so…I think so"

"Uh"

Vita wondered if she should tell him about seeing Cleo kissing someone else. She decided against it. Instead, she just got closer to Sam.

"I didn't mean for everything to go down this way" she whispered "But I just thought you had to know"

"I do now" Sam said "And if I had known how…you felt about me…I wouldn't have gotten with Cleo in the first place"

"Really?"

Sam looked at her "Of course not. I would never do anything to hurt you. You're my best friend, V"

Vita's heart started beating faster. She took his arm and passed it around her shoulder, snuggling against him.

"I've always loved you, you know" she said, because she was drunk and because he already knew "And I wanted to tell you right before I caught you guys kissing"

Her confession didn't make Sam uncomfortable. He just pressed her shoulder between his fingers.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked.

"Anything, Sammy"

"I think I loved you both, but couldn't decide. So I let you guys do it for me. Perhaps if you had been the first one to tell me, all of this would have been different"

Vita looked up, and he looked down. They stared at each other as everybody else started counting down in one voice. Vita kissed him as everybody was shouting "three!" and right when midnight rang, he kissed her back.

/

"Happy New Year!" all of their voices combined rang into the Archibalds dining room.

Blair kissed Dan, while Nate kissed Ivy and Carter and Serena got into a full on make out session.

"Hey, come on guys, at least wait to get home" Nate said.

Carter and Serena broke it off, grinning widely. Nate opened a bottle of champagne, and served everyone. Then he stood up, lifting his glass.

"A toast, to all of the wonderful years we've had together, and may us have many, many after"

"Cheers!" they clinked their glasses, and started drinking, except for Serena who sipped on her water.

Ivy giggled at her.

"Come on, Serena, everyone here knows that you still have an occasional glass of wine, even though you're not supposed to. Take a glass with us"

"I can't" Serena said with a smile.

Dan nodded "Good. Responsible. We don't want you to go back that path"

"No the drinking problem isn't the reason" Serena shook her head, and looked at Carter.

They gazed at everyone maliciously, then Serena said.

"I'm pregnant!"

"What?" Ivy and Nate both said, pleasantly surprised.

"What?" Dan and Blair gasped, nervous.

"Congratulations, guys!" Nate went to hug them "It's unbelievable!"

"I know" Serena said.

"We had a slight doubt, at first, but then we thought 'what the hell, let's do this!'" Carter's smile couldn't seem to faint.

Eventually, they all noticed Dan and Blair's face.

"Please try to hide your enthusiasm" Carter told them.

Blair bit her lip, and looked at Dan. He simply nodded, and she closed her eyes. This was going to be so difficult.

"Guys" Blair said looking back at them "We have something important to tell you"

Nate sat back down, taking in the seriousness of their faces.

"We promised we wouldn't say anything" Dan said "But given the circumstances, perhaps it's best if you hear it from us, so you have time to think before they tell you"

"Before who tell us what?" Ivy asked, wary.

"It's Adeline" Blair said, looking at Carter and Serena "She came to us the other day and told us that she…" Blair had trouble finishing.

"She what, Blair?" Serena's voice was stiff "Don't tell me that…"

Blair saw in her eyes that Serena had instantly understood. Probably mother's intuition. Ivy looked at the two of them, and gasped, putting her hands over her mouth.

"No" she whispered.

Blair turned to her, and nodded slowly.

"What's going on?" Carter asked, looking at the three women.

Serena turned to him, breathing sharply "Our daughter is pregnant, Carter"

"And our son is the father" Ivy told Nate.

/

Travis didn't really want to be at this party. But Adeline was still barely talking to him, and Milo convinced him to go out, at least that night, before having to deliver the news to their parents. He made small talk with people, got into the debates of laws and business with them before going back to sip on his whisky, alone in his corner. His phone rang in his pocket, and when he saw Addie face lighting on the screen, he instantly picked up.

"Hey" he said "Happy New Year"

"Where are you?" she asked in a short breath.

"Manhattan, why? What's going on?"

"I think there's something wrong" Adeline said "It hurts really bad"

"I'll be right there. Don't move"

Travis tried to dial a car service, but of course, none of them answered. It was New Year.

"Shit!" he yelled.

He knew all the adults were at his parents' place, and he couldn't call them anyway. Emily and Ombeline were at a gala. There had been pictures on Gossip Girl of Sam, Elvis and Vita in a party of Manhattan. No one was in Brooklyn. He was considering calling her an ambulance, when he thought of a last resort.

He dialed Cleo, praying that she didn't have plans that night. He was nearly kidding himself. Even if she didn't have a party to attend, she was probably at Lily and Rufus's.

"Hello?"

"Sweetie, please, tell me you're in Brooklyn"

"I'm heading there, why?"

"Are you in a car? Can you come get me?"

"Um…sure, where are you?"

Travis didn't say goodbye to Milo, and headed out. When the car stopped in front of him, he got in and rushed the driver. Cleo blinked confusingly at him.

"What's going on?"

"It's Addie, I think something is wrong with the baby"

"Whose baby?"

"Our baby"

Cleo's eyes stretched "She's pregnant? With your baby?"

"It's a long story" he leaned forward to the driver "Get us there as fast as you can, please"

He didn't say anything else during the ride, and Cleo tried not to stare too much at him. He looked pale, and insanely worried. When the car pulled in front of her house, they both got out, running to their next door. Travis banged on the door, and since Adeline wasn't answering, Cleo showed him how to climb the pipe drain to get in by Vita's room, like she had done so many times before.

The found Adeline on the girls' bathroom floor, sweating heavily, and half conscious. Travis' stomach grew tight when he saw blood dripping on her legs.

"Oh my God" Cleo gasped at the sight "I'm calling an ambulance"

"No, it'll take too long, we'll use the car to drive her to the hospital"

Travis lifted Adeline in his arms.

"But she needs medical attention, Trav" Cleo insisted.

"She'll get it as soon as we get there"

Travis got out of the bathroom, and started getting down the stairs. Cleo followed him.

"Should I call someone? The parents?"

"No, call Emily, tell her to meet us over there as soon as possible. Which hospital is the closest?"

"There's a clinic about five blocks from here"

Cleo unlocked the door for him, and she watched him get inside the car with Adeline. This wasn't the way she thought her night would end. She called Emily, who seemed aware of the situation and told her she and Ombeline would get there as soon as possible.

She received a text from Thomas, asking her if she had gotten home safe, but decided to ignore it. Another car pulled in front of the house and Ombeline saw Vita getting out of it, laughing. She seemed drunk. Cleo's heart pressed in her chest when she saw Sam following, drunken smile on his face. They were holding hands.

They both stopped laughing when they saw Cleo on the threshold, and their fingers unlinked. Sam staggered toward her.

"Hey" he said.

"What are you doing here?" Vita asked coldly "You live next door"

"What are you doing with my boyfriend?" Cleo replied.

"We were gonna come back to keep Addie company" Sam said, hoping to ease up the rising tension "Maybe watch a movie. Do you want to join?"

"No she doesn't want to join, Sam" Vita said "She is here because she saw the picture of us on Gossip Girl, and she wanted to give me her hypocrite speech about how bad of a friend I am"

"Did you just call me hypocrite?" Cleo asked, taking a step closer "You? Really?"

"Where were you tonight, C?" Vita asked, stepping forward too "Did you have fun? I hear Riverside Preps throw the best parties"

Cleo took a deep breath. She didn't know how, but it was obvious Vita knew something about Thomas and her.

"I was here, because your sister was sick and Travis just got her to the hospital"

"What?" Vita turned pale "What are you talking about?"

"They went to the clinic in Williamsburg. Emily and my sister are going to join them"

"What happened?" Vita asked.

"It's really not my story to tell" Cleo answered "I just thought you should know"

Then she walked past them, toward her own house.

"Oh and by the way" she turned around to face them "I'm done. With the both of you"

* * *

_Hopefully, I keep coming up with more stories, and lighter ones because this one's little dark._

_xo_


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